"Tom Watson" wrote in message
...

The least involved piece that I sent out for quote came back at $6.05
from the low bidder - that is the low bidder who was a "Murrican.

The guy in China quoted a price that would make it $0.87, when the
shipping fees were added that would get the pieces to our warehouse.



On This Old House some time ago, they were doing some masonary with just
your old typical brick. They did mention that these bricks came from some
place in Africa. The kicker was when it was explained that the bricks were
nothing special, and they could have just as well have used bricks made any
place, 'cept these were cheaper!

Fer crying out load! Bricks! How simple can it be! Mix up some water and
mud, maybe bake 'em, far from high tech! The African bricks were likely made
by hand with wooded forms, a hand full at a time, where a supplier state
side would haxe some mechanical monster that spits 'em out hundreds at a
time. Then can you imagine shipping containers of bricks from overseas, and
getting them here cheaper than they can be made down the road a piece! You
would think that freight would kill the price differance.
Greg